macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install giflibprovider-native install command
brew / rank 51
Install giflib with Homebrew
Library and utilities for processing GIFs. Version 6.1.3 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Library and utilities for processing GIFs
Project links
Commands and aliases
- gifbuild
- gifclrmp
- giffix
- giftext
- giftool
history
Project history and usage
GIFLIB is the long-lived C service library and utility collection for reading, writing, inspecting, and transforming GIF images.
Project history
GIFLIB traces its code lineage to a DOS library and command-line tool set written by Gershon Elber between the GIF87 and GIF89 specifications, with version 1.0 dated June 1989. Eric S. Raymond ported the code to System V Unix by the end of 1989 and reworked parts of the API between 1989 and 1992.
During the LZW patent era, part of the code base traveled as libungif with GIF compression removed. Compression support was merged back after the blocking patent expired in 2004, and the project resumed the giflib name. In 2012, Raymond returned to project leadership and released 4.2 and 5.0, with 5.0 addressing thread safety, GIF89 control blocks, and obsolete utility cleanup.
Adoption history
GIFLIB's own history records that the Unix port was incorporated into NCSA Mosaic in 1994, making it part of the early web's image stack. The project describes the code as deployed across browsers, graphics applications, operating systems, smartphones, game consoles, and embedded devices.
How it is used
Practitioners use GIFLIB through its C API and through utilities such as gifbuild, gifclrmp, giffix, giftext, and giftool. The library supports sequential GIF I/O and whole-image in-memory workflows, while the utility set helps inspect, repair, compose, and transform GIF files.
Why package nerds care
GIFLIB matters to package maintainers because it is small, mature image infrastructure with a large reverse-dependency surface. ABI changes, security hardening, fuzzing fixes, and utility packaging decisions carry ecosystem weight beyond the package's size.
Timeline
- 1989: GIFLIB 1.0 dated in the original DOS lineage.
- 1994: GIFLIB-derived code used in NCSA Mosaic.
- 1998: Toshio Kuratomi shipped 4.0.
- 2004: Compression support merged back after patent expiry.
- 2012: Version 5.0 released with thread-safety and GIF89 API work.
- 2026: Upstream SourceForge code browser shows active 6.x maintenance.
Related projects
- libungif is part of GIFLIB's patent-era history. Gifsicle, ImageMagick, browser engines, and many image-processing stacks occupy adjacent or dependent parts of the GIF ecosystem.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
library-like package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- library-like package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:library-like
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
gifbuild | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
gifclrmp | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
giffix | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
giftext | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
giftool | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version6.1.3
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:giflib |
|---|---|
| Version | 6.1.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://giflib.sourceforge.net/ |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation